openerp-community team mailing list archive

[Graeme Gellatly <gdgellatly@xxxxxxxxx>]

Hi,

I think it depends on whether we are talking tactics or strategy here.
Largely it seems tactics focused, basically marcoms so we'll go with that.

For me best marketing OpenERP can do right now
Better documentation, esp user documentation. Videos, documents etc etc.
Proper community manager, with integrated community plan not an overworked
dev/R&D guy who has very little time.
Adopt a philosophy of "Be where your customers are looking"
Fix code - refactor it to PEP8 and new OpenERP standards.  It is far more
enjoyable reading community code these days than piling through the 150
character plus lines of core.  People read it, it gives an impression of
quality.

For the most part I see those are in your plan.

Questionable things for me (which are in plan)
Change name.
Product first, not company first is questionable - I'd go customer goal
first (e.g. reducing inventory variance, increasing profitability, lowering
complexity - whatever) no one wants a product, they want something that
moves them closer to their goals.


On Mon, Feb 17, 2014 at 10:04 AM, Ana Juaristi <ajuaristio@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> My point about several sentences on document:
> ---------
>
> Describe OpenERP in one sentence:
>
>    - We use to say to our customers: Reduce your costs improving your
>    processes.
>
> ---------
> Focus marketing efforts on end-users
> More than: developers, community members, companies
>
> For me it's a wrong aproach. WE (your community, partners) are YOUR
> customers (valuable customers). As editor you should not only think on end
> users needs but integrators and partners needs because we are a clear
> bussiness line for you. If you consider that maybe on past you did not
> success with this bussiness line... reinvent/rethink the services you are
> offering to this specific market.
> Say more --> end user 1 single user on saas suposes 420 EURO/year
> 1 single ready partner is 3000 EURO income even if he does not sell any
> service for you. 8 to 1, so... better focussing one branding line
> considering partners as your customers and inventing services valuables for
> anyone, for you to monetize, for us to be guided. Too much times we are
> totally lost (at less we are) Ask people why they are evaluating every year
> about renewing or not their partnership. We need customer care even more
> than end users.
>
>
>    - Strategy --> PULL --> Create Users Need   --> Generate Partners
>    Revenue --> Revenue For OpenERP SA
>
> It's probably much more easy for partners covering users needs by
> theirselves (happened historically) so why not...
>
>    - Strategy -->
>
>             Create Users Need  -->  Revenue For OpenERP SA +
>             Cover Partners Need  -->  Revenue For OpenERP SA +
>             Create Users Need --> Revenue for partners
> --------
>
> NO DOUBT About Open Source:
>
>    - Values: Open Source *IS ** customer value*, Just BIGGEST OpenERP
>    value against closed solutions. Customers want to cover their needs
>    whatever they are. You/we can do that because solution is OpenSource and
>    it's the best on market
>
> The top 3 values of OpenERP, by order of importance:
>
>    - Easy (TRUE)
>
>
>    - Integrated (TRUE)
>
>
>    - Full featured (allows to handle your business custom issues) -->
>    IMHO this is not true, so I would not include as one of top 3 values. Not
>    OpenERP nor any other ERP on market is full featured. We would say that it
>    has got the basis to cover any area of any company but it's not possible
>    building one single full featured area for all companies. Let's see that
>    you have got more than 1000 community modules published complementing /
>    extending any area that would not be necesary if OpenERP was full featured
>    on basis. I think you can never say any software is full featured because
>    it causes false expectatives. You can say that almost a high percentage of
>    functionality required on each industry is covered for the big number of
>    existent modules but you can't say to a company they will be full covered,
>    so you can not say OpenERP is full featured.
>    - OpenSource (I add as value)
>
> Other possibilities:
>
>    - Flexible (TRUE)
>
>
>    - Affordable (TRUE)
>
>
>    - No Implementation (for SMEs): from a service market to a product
>    one? --> VERY VERY complex to afford at this moment. Any installing would
>    need an implementation to be in production. Maybe small set of
>    services but most of companies will need assistance to arrive to start-up
>    otherwise they will try demo for few days/weeks and then will leave.
>
> ------------------
>
> Don't try to speak and look like a big corporation. OpenERP is a SME
> -->Why? Why do you want to avoid big markets/companies? Why do you think
> that OpenERP is not able of competing with big ERPs on market? Why did you
> change your mind in only 1 year?
>
> There is enough functionality build on old versions in OpenERP to cover
> infinite needs in a company. Why not having 2 different lines / targer on
> market? Why not helping community somehow (build an strategy with
> crowdfunding or something, I don't know) to have all biggest/best community
> modules migrated to V8 as soon as possible to be able to offer it to big
> companies as we use to do on past? Why don't you think a big company is
> better customer/revenue than 10 small SME?
> Sorry but I never understood that point. It's not a critic it's just
> sincere questions that I try to answer myself and I can not find response.
>
> ------------
> OpenERP is not an ERP, but a suite of Business Apps --> This is new
> aproach for very small SMEs. Usually people think about an app (google app
> store) as an small application for free or costing less than 1 EURO that they
> use for a very specific task. Noone is going to pay much services for
> something that costs 35 EURO/month. This aproach is very nice for very small
> SMEs and single people/users on SAAS aproach. Nothing to say about that.
>
> But... everybody knows that one ERP is very costing solution that is
> covering business processes. Nevermind if it's a suit of business apps or
> it's a suit of modules inside a solution or even one single solution
> covering eveything. So... people wants to pay for one ERP and recognize the
> effort of starting-up an ERP in their company and even recognize the need
> of having an enterprise contract with editor or partner.
> An ERP is serious costing thing. An app is funny pretty application to use
> on my laptop or mobile with no cost or very low cost. Both lines goes
> through 2 very different target of customers.
> Usually our target has been ERP wanters but... problem is trying to define
> recursive incomes/services from them.
> That is with SAAS = Difficult to sale implementation project + small
> recurrent monthly income
>             with corporate = Easy to sale implementation project + no
> recursive income or very complex defining recurrent income.
> ---
> should we change the OpenERP name? ABSOLUTELY NO!!! Please don't do that.
>
> -------------------
> OpenERP is quite disruptive and people don't understand what we do until
> they can play with it
>
> I would say that people don't understant what you do even if they can play
> with it. That is... sometimes there is so big changes from one version to
> another that people is not ready to asume them (I include myself). I think
> it's correct that you not only explain things before you release but even
> before starting to develop like you made with new WMS. If you let people
> collaborate on defining future and giving opinion on hugh changes like you
> are doing now... everything will be much more easy on future.
> ---
>
> even not understood as most community members went to the wrong direction
> by developing connectors to third party ecommerce --> Just to say...
> connectors to thid party for OpenERP exists even for 5.0 so, it's not
> something new built on 2013. There is a lot of ecommerce solutions on
> market that has been used for longtime and one of our target market is
> ecommerce shops wanting an ERP. So... it's not going to the wrong direction
> but covering a market need.
>
> --------------------
>
> We make ourself become comparable to SAP, but we are not (we don't want to
> be perceived like an ERP) --> WHY? Make compatible both aproaches. Only
> with app aproach you will obtain small companies. WE NEED bigger companies
> that will be very complex to convince if they don't see an ERP behind
> OpenERP.
>
> --------------------
>
> My 2 cents.
> Thank you very much for opening the possibility of giving our opinion
> about all this. Things are really evolving to the right direction.
> Ana
>
>
>
> .
>
>
>
>
>
>
> 2014-02-16 Nhomar Hernández <nhomar@xxxxxxxxx>:
>
>> Hello, great initiative.
>>
>> Generally I think all is good, I just want to remark points where you
>> mention you have doubt, or I have doubts.
>>
>> """
>> Describe OpenERP in one sentence: (just ideas, not convinced yet by one
>> of those)
>>
>>
>> """
>>
>> Adding to your options, I Should say:
>>
>> "Automate all your process with 1 platform".
>>
>> About the "Pull" strategy.
>>
>> """
>>
>>    - Strategy:
>>
>>
>>    - PULL:
>>
>>
>>    - Create Users Need --> Generate Partners Revenue --> Revenue For
>>    OpenERP SA
>>
>> """
>>
>> I think we should be consistent, some other statements are not totally
>> consistent.
>>
>> It means:
>>
>> The pull strategy is ensure that your actual and new sponsors follow the
>> roadmap that the market encourage to follow, then, use sentences or even
>> mind structures where:
>>
>> "Opensource is not a customer Value" >> WRONG, it is our MAIN customer
>> value (even if the people don't understand yet these value) we need to be
>> clear what is that value.
>>
>> Henry Ford said "If i asked to people what it wants, they should ask me
>> More Horses capacity per carriage"....
>>
>> Today, the value of Dropbox can not be measured, I can not imagine my
>> live without these simple mind change.
>>
>> Do you imagine the live without your Ipod, Laptop, E-Mail-.-.......
>>
>> Well Imagine a future "Without" a GREAT OPENSOURCE ERP AS OPENERP?, I
>> think enforce the fact of the modularity is a good approach, but never ever
>> say that the fact of the Open Source of openerp "it is not a customer"
>> value it is THE customer value.
>>
>> - Fast problem solving,
>> - Freedom.
>> - Not lock in...
>> and 100 more.....
>>
>> But simple tray to follow the actual rules of market and not try to
>> disrupt them is wrong, every single people around the world need to
>> understand the value and over all the "cost " of the opensource.... this
>> sentence IMHO is wrong.
>>
>> I just give an example, My 3 biggest customers ARE in OpenERP because in
>> the "best" "Opensource" option, we need to create this kind of customers
>> (following the pull strategy).
>>
>> About the statement:
>>
>>
>>    - FYI:
>>
>>
>>    - Magento, Wordpress, SugarCRM: don't even put "open source" in their
>>    homepage (not sure it's a good idea)
>>
>>
>>
>> I am not sure either, this is the reason i don't use any of them.
>>
>>  The top 3 values, move ourself from service market to product market is
>> only possible if you sell closed licences, or extraordinary good and
>> focused SERVICES (that looks like products) then think about that, I know
>> about other ways, but not sure if this is the moment to move on this change.
>>
>> I like the communication style you propose... very good, just a comment.
>>
>>
>>    - Explain new features/apps when they are released, not before
>>
>> IMHO the enterprise value is on avoid this. You should talk more and
>> better about the future points, this is an extraordinary argument to sell
>> enterprise, if it is managed correctly, I recommend "theleanstartup.com"
>> which support my point, not always you need something "ready" to talk about
>> it. You need is find the way to use it efficiently in your sale Process I
>> am
>> using it and it is going very very well.
>>
>> Communication Style:
>>
>>    - position OpenERP as the challenger, not the leader:
>>
>>
>> 1000% agreed with it, Important is manage the SAME argument for every
>> single part, even in the business model, we can not challenge the market
>> with the rule designed by actual economical and commercial leaders (I am
>> talking about not Mention the OpenSource part for example).
>>
>> It is important understand that several countries are even managing BY
>> LAW the use of Open Source technologies, Mix "Same technical as Privative
>> AND OpenSOurce is a good argument in some markets too!".
>>
>>
>>    - OpenERP is not an ERP, but a suite of Business Apps:
>>
>>
>>    - should we change the OpenERP name?
>>
>>
>> IMHO, You can manage both.
>>
>> OpenERP is all apps "Integrated" and necessary and useful for a kind of
>> market
>> .
>> OpenWhatever is the framework to manage apps (maybe come back to
>> OpenObject?), community and so on.
>> .
>> OpenToolA
>> OpenToolB.
>> .
>> .
>> .
>> .WhateverSoTool N......
>>
>> Every app need a different approach (alá SAP or Sugar),
>>
>>  http://www.sap.com/pc/index.html
>>
>> The main issue is that It cost a lot, we should focus one by one with
>> specific cover needs.
>>
>> About the community:
>>
>>
>>
>> KUDOS FOR THAT!
>>
>>
>>    - We should not anymore compare OpenERP to SAP:
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Agreed but be carefull, Challenge the SME market is dangerous in terms of
>> branding investment, because all loosers are there too not only early
>> adopters and good guys.
>>
>> There is a big market of dangerous people that will try to destroy your
>> investment only because they think they can get easy money.
>>
>> IDEA:
>>
>> In my experience the flow of marketing for enterprise apps is:
>>
>> 1.- Who has the need read the marketing material.... >> 2.- ask the
>> "expert" to validate
>>  >>  both of them are the ones who influence the decision maker.
>>
>>  Then to go directly to decision maker to invest, we need to plant the
>> seed in the first two protagonist.
>>
>> A.- Working with quality material.
>> B.- Working with a lot of video material.
>>
>> This part is important because the technical guys generally are the ones
>> who test and validate all the technical and communitary stuff they must be
>> include in the "Marketing target" even if they are not who pays.
>>
>> A good advice for the technicians sometimes have more value than 10 from
>> buyers guys.
>>
>>
>>    - launchpad mailing list is complex and ugly
>>
>>
>> Agreed.... be careful maybe open a new one in a new tool is dangerous
>> too!, what about build in OpenERP a frontend for it?
>>
>> I really hope my points help you....
>>
>> KUDOS for the initiative of open this discusion dude.
>>
>>
>>
>> 014-02-15 7:03 GMT-06:00 Fabien Pinckaers <fp@xxxxxxxxxxx>:
>>
>>> Dear community,
>>>
>>> Over the past years, we did not invest a lot in marketing. We put most
>>> our efforts in R&D and Sales departements (starting from 2010) and
>>> services (started in 2012).
>>>
>>> Things are changing and we are now ready to invest a lot in marketing
>>> activities. I just wrote a "very draft" internal document to discuss the
>>> brand positioning of OpenERP:
>>>   http://pad.openerp.com/p/r.Zzg7LhlqI7elyigb
>>>
>>> I would like to have your point of view on these marketing thoughts for
>>> OpenERP.
>>>
>>> Thanks,
>>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> --------------------
>> Saludos Cordiales
>>
>> Nhomar G. Hernandez M.
>> +58-414-4110269
>> Skype: nhomar00
>> Web-Blog: http://geronimo.com.ve
>> Servicios IT: http://vauxoo.com
>> Linux-Counter: 467724
>> Correos:
>> nhomar@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>> nhomar@xxxxxxxxxx
>> twitter @nhomar
>>
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>>
>
>
> --
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> oficina: (+34) 943 02 69 02
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